A review by woodsybookworm
The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book really surprised me! 

I'd seen the cover around yet kept putting off picking it up. Once I finally cracked it open I finished it in a single sitting! I could NOT put this book down.

The Twilight Zone meets Silent Hill (just the vibes not the monsters) in The Haunting of Velkwood. The story follows a group of women - Talitha, Grace, and Brett - as they are pulled back to Velkwood Street, the suburban neighborhood they grew up in which is now home to the ghosts of its former residents...their families.

Surrounded by an impenetrable barrier of fog that refuses entry to all outsiders - except the three girls who escaped it - Velkwood Street is a hotspot for occultists, scientific researchers, government agencies, and crackpot conspiracy theorists. 

Down on her luck and with no hopes for the future, Talitha accepts an offer she can't refuse - return to Velkwood, reunite with the ghosts of her family, and report back on the condition of the town in exchange for a hefty sum of money. Seems easy enough right? Or is it? 

This wasn't really a horror book per say as much as it was an emotional one. The ghosts of the novel weren't the scary haunting type, they were sad reflections of regret, the specters of a life not truly lived. It was sad more than scary and yet I actually still really enjoyed reading this!